NHTSA Complaint #10992911 — 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA

MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SHUTS DOWN WHILE RUNNING, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO DEFAULT INTO 5TH GEAR, (2-4 GEARS EFFECTIVELY DISAPPEAR) AND THE ALL ELECTRICITY , RADIO, A/C, AND POWER STEERING TO SHUT DOWN. ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAYS ONE CAN KEEP DRIVING BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL IMMEDIATELY, AND TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH THE KEY. USUALLY IT RESTARTS AND RUNS BUT IN A DEFICIENT POWER MODE. THE VDC LIGHT APPEARS, LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE STUCK IN 5TH GEAR, WITH THE OPTION OF MANUALLY STARTING IN 1ST GEAR. EITHER SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO AUTOMATIC OR MANUALLY TO ANOTHER GEAR, DEFAULTS THE CAR INTO GEAR 5. THE CAR IS DRIVE-ABLE IN THIS CONDITION, BUT ONE HAS AT STOPLIGHTS, TO IMMEDIATELY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, AND MANUALLY WITH FOOT PEDAL, KEEP THE RPMS ABOVE 1100. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT. IF TURNING A CORNER, AND NOT VERY STRONG, I'D HAVE NO CONTROL OVER MY CAR. WITHOUT POWER STEERING WORKING THE WHEEL IS VERY HARD TO TURN. FINALLY ONE DAY, THE CAR WOULD NOT START ON COLD START. IT WOULD OCCASIONALLY ALMOST FIRE, MAKE SOME REVOLUTIONS,BUT THEN WOULD ONLY TURN ON POWER OF THE STARTER. THE FIRST MECHANIC GAVE AN ESTIMATE OF $3600 TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN THE PROBLEM ORIGINALLY DID NOT EXIST WHEN ENGINE WAS COLD, BUT AFTER ENGINE WARMS UP, AT THE FIRST TIME THE RPM'S FALL BELOW 1000, THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF... USUALLY WAITING FOR A COLD ENGINE AGAIN, CAUSES THE CAR TO START UP IN ORIGINAL FORM.